Alamogordo commission unanimously approves city manager settlement, including 60‑day separation

The Alamogordo City Commission voted unanimously May 5 to accept settlement terms tied to the city manager transition, including a 60‑day termination period to allow the city time to find and install a successor.

The action followed a closed executive session held under state law to discuss limited personnel matters. After the commission returned to open session, the presiding officer recommended accepting the settlement and asked commissioners if they were in agreement. "We should accept the terms of the settlement, which include a 60 day termination to provide the city time to transition to a new city manager," the presiding officer said.

Mayor Pro Tem moved to accept the additional terms that had been proposed through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Dr. Stephanie Hernandez; the motion was seconded and the commission approved the settlement and those additional terms by a 7–0 vote.

The commission began the meeting at 4 p.m., took roll, heard an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the agenda before recessing to closed session pursuant to the New Mexico statute cited on the record for limited personnel discussions related to the city manager transition. The clerk stated that the only topic discussed in closed session was the transition.

The commission did not read or summarize further details of the settlement on the public record beyond the terms announced following the closed session. The motion to adjourn passed later in the meeting by the same unanimous vote.

No additional public details about the settlement amount, severance pay, or other monetary terms were disclosed in the open meeting transcript; those specifics were not specified.